


Nick Morton is an Idiot (In Love)

by readwriteandavengers



Category: The Mummy (2017)
Genre: Angst, Drinking, Falling In Love, First Kiss, M/M, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-18
Updated: 2018-09-18
Packaged: 2019-07-13 23:08:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16027898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/readwriteandavengers/pseuds/readwriteandavengers
Summary: Nick's been thinking lately. What exactly is the distinction of lust and love? He think he knows the answer when he looks at Chris Vail.





	Nick Morton is an Idiot (In Love)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ruthc93](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ruthc93/gifts).



> Oh here we go! Another fandom to throw myself in to. Thanks for reading!

They’re back in their moldy hotel room after about a week’s worth of adrenaline. Part of Nick is happy to have a few hours off, but a large part of him is yelling to find a new task, a new adventure. Something shiny and expensive to chase after. 

 

He’s got a stout glass in his left hand and a bottle of hard liquor in the other. It’s something he and Vail bought off a local. The bottle has no lable, and the drink tastes odd, but it does its job at giving Nick a pleasant buzz. 

 

Thinking of the drink in his hand makes him thirsty, so Nick lifts the bottle to his lips instead of the empty glass he holds. He lets the warm liquid pass his lips, pass his teeth, and rest on the top of his tongue. The warmth sits there, a punishment and reward wrapped in one. Punishment because the burn is rather unpleasant, too strong, but a reward because at least Nick knows he can still feel.

 

Nick’s swallowing when he hears a hiss from the bathroom. Lazily, his eyes lifts from the brown-orange carpet and land on Vail. His fellow soldier, brother in arms, partner in crime… best friend. 

 

The corner of Nick’s mouth quirks up as studies Vail’s profile. He’s turned towards the mirror, giving Nick a great view of… everything. Nick’s buzzed brain is pleased with  _ everything  _ he sees. The curve of Vail’s bicep, the tanned skin, the way Vail’s ribs make an appearance when he twists. Nick’s gaze stops on Vail’s mid-drift, thinking of a few things; the trail of hair he has lowering from his belly button, the way Vail’s skin is softer there, yet his hips are still defined in a pleasing ‘V’. And, lastly, the way Vail’s button to trousers is undone to show low-riding boxers. 

 

Nick’s got the bottle back to his lips before he even realizes it. 

 

“You did this, you know,” Vail says from the bathroom, nursing his third glass of liquor.

 

Nick hums as he lets his hand drop. A bit of drink sloshes out of the bottle to wet his pants, but Nick doesn’t care. There’s no way he’s going to argue that Vail’s wrong. Nick probably did do… whatever it is Vail says he did. 

 

“What did I do again?” Nick asks, a little too loud in hopes of enunciating his words clearer. It doesn’t work. 

 

Vail sighs as he turns his body to show Nick the gash on the other side of his ribs. From here, Nick can’t tell how deep the cut is. All he knows is that it’s red and big. Vail points to it with lifted brows, looking far too scornful for Nick’s liking. 

 

“What is it?” Nick asks as he takes another drink.

 

“A cut, you dick,” Vail grumbles as he turns back to the mirror. Suddenly he has white gauze in his hand and presses it against the cut. His ribs make another appearance as he turns to place the bandage. 

 

“A cut,” Nick says to himself, then huffs out a small laugh. He’s not sure what he finds humorous. Either way, he distantly wonders how he walked away without any injury. He wonders why Vail’s the one that has to deal with the repercussions of their adventures. Nick could almost believe he has some form of dumb luck. 

 

“Yeah,” Vail’s voice is suddenly too close, and then the bottles being taken from Nick’s hand. 

 

“Hey,” Nick says as he turns back but his vision spins one direction and his head spins in the other. That’s too fast so he squeezes his eyes shut and breathes. 

 

“This is why I’m taking away the liquor,” Vail says, smugly too. Nick wants to pinch him for it. 

 

“How did you get a cut?” Nick changes the topic of conversation, listening to Vail’s footsteps throughout the room. He won’t push that dumb luck he was thinking of earlier, so he keeps his eyes closed. 

 

“Don’t know,” Vail’s voice is already dripping with sarcasm. He’s so good at sarcasm, Nick notes. “Could be when we fell through the thatch roof, or when we collided with the abandoned cart full of scrap metal. Might have been when that guy threw a  _ grenade  _ and shit started exploding around us.” 

 

Nick’s mouth forms a thin line as he considers the options. He only nods with another hum. 

 

A short laugh comes from Vail’s side of the room but conversation draws flat after that. For some reason, Nick feels the need to continue, to say something even if it’s stupid just to hear Vail’s voice. 

 

Nick tries to recharge himself so he can accomplish that task. He opens his eyes, slowly, and looks around the room. The alcohol still makes him sluggish, so he falls back against the mattress instead, hoping that laying down won’t make the room spin as much. 

 

But he can’t see Vail this way, with his back flat against the rigid mattress, so he turns on his side and pillows his hands under his head. 

 

And there he is. Vail laying in the same position Nick had been moments before. Back flat against the bed, but with his arms up and hands under his head. His eyes are closed, and his chest rises and falls with gentle breaths. 

 

Nick takes a moment, stifling his need to speak to take a chance at inspecting Vail. There’s an unbridled urge that Nick finds hard to stifle, an urge to join Vail on the bed, to rest his head upon Vail’s chest and listen to each breath he takes. Nick closes his eyes and imagines it; Vail’s warm skin against his cheek, the way Vail’s skin probably smells like salt and rubbing alcohol from his cut. 

 

“Nick, you going to be okay?” 

 

The sound of Vail’s voice brings a slow curling smile onto Nick’s face, which then gets him to open his eyes. Vail’s staring back, brows pinched in what might be concern. Nick’s not sure. He hasn’t seen many people look at him like that so he’s slowly learning what it means. 

 

Nick hums again, nodding his head against his hands. His eyes are closing again and he must have lolled off to sleep because suddenly Vail’s knelt beside the bed with Nick’s glass filled with water. 

 

“Drink this.” Vail insists, leaving no room for argument. The tone of voice is something Nick’s had the pleasure of hearing before; a tone that’s gravelly, exasperated, yet fond.

 

Nick sits up on his elbow, with the help of Vail’s other arm. Distantly, Nick berates himself for putting himself in this position. Vail’s the one with a wound on his torso, one that looks pretty nasty too. Yet Vail’s the one taking care of Nick. 

 

Some things don’t change. 

 

The water is an unwelcome feeling. It’s too cold against Nick’s teeth and tongue, and still cold when Nick swallows. He grimaces after drinking only half of the glass, but then Vail gives him a sharp enough look that convinces him to finish the rest of the glass. 

 

“Good,” Vail praises as he takes the glass back. 

 

Vail twists again, turning to set the glass down on the nightstand between their beds. The ridge of his nose is cast in the yellow light, and the hairs from his beard are illuminated. And it might be the alcohol, or the late our, or that Nick’s never had great impulse control, but he finds himself reaching out, cupping the side of Vail’s face in a way that he’s only allowed himself to imagine. 

 

Vail stiffens but his head slowly pivots in Nick’s direction. 

 

“Nick?” Vail ponders as Nick blinks slowly up at him, a smile still curled onto his features. How Nick manages to always look so pleased is beyond Vail. 

 

Honestly, Nick’s had better restraint in worse situations. He’s had numerous chances to make a move on Vail, sober or not. So Nick’s not sure what’s different about tonight… but something’s different. Now he can tell that the want he feels isn’t just lust. It’s more than that.  

 

A small laugh leaves Nick, airy and juvenile, but he feels almost euphoric with this reveal. He shakes his head minutely, astonished with his own feelings. 

 

“I really like you,” Nick admits, eyes falling to Vail’s mouth for a second before needing to see the color of Vail’s eyes again. He hopes he’s not imagining the way Vail’s eyes soften. 

 

Vail opens his mouth, a retort on the tip of his tongue, before he closes it again. This time, the smile he holds for Nick is sad. His fingers are gentle as they encompass Nick’s wrist, only to gently pull Nick’s hand away from his face. 

 

“Nick. You’re drunk.” 

 

Nick laughs but he know it sounds dry. He can’t even bring himself to smile now that Vail’s holding him back with his hand firmly around Nick’s wrist. Nick almost hopes that Vail laughs with him, it would make the atmosphere lighter. But Vail doesn’t. 

 

“Vail, I-” he tries, but even he can’t think of an excuse. Nick Morton without an excuse is rare. 

 

“I know,” Vail pats Nick’s arm reassuringly, and the smile he gives Nick is anything but reassuring. Vail looks… uncomfortable. “You’re drunk,” Vail repeats. 

 

“No, it’s not that,” Nick shakes his head but the causes him to grow dizzy again. He presses the heel of his free hand to the space between his eyebrows and squeezes his eyes tightly shut. “I like you, Vail.”

 

“I like you too, Nick.” Vail echoes, but somehow Nick feels disappointed. Vail’s the nice one, the one who actually thinks about other’s feelings and well-being. Vail’s the one who shouldn’t be here, holed up in a shitty motel, sore from the hell Nick drug him through. 

 

Nick’s selfishness flares again. He wants to run, leave Vail in the dirt and claim it’s because he doesn’t want Vail to get hurt. But that’s a lie. Nick wants nothing more than for Vail to be right there with him, by his side. All of Nick’s selfish desires seem to only drag Vail down, but somehow Nick’s okay with it as long as Vail’s still his. 

 

Nick knows he could never leave. 

 

“I’ll talk about this with you in the morning, if you still want to.” Vail offers, guiding Nick’s hand back down to the mattress. He manages to capture Nick’s gaze again, despite Nick wanting to crawl in a hole at the moment. 

 

_...if you still want to. _

 

Part of Nick is thankful for Vail giving him an out. Part of him hates that he’s now being given an excuse, to push this away by blaming it on the alcohol. That way they can both forget it. 

 

Nick sighs as he rests his cheek back onto his hands. When Vail gives him another one of those pointed looks, with his brows raised and his head tilted down, Nick finally acknowledges his offer and nods. 

 

Vail smiles and nods in return. “Good,” Vail decides on, before turning to head back to his bed. 

 

And, maybe Nick’s not as drunk as he thought he was. Maybe he was just letting himself succumb to the alcohol easier, because his hand reaches out at what he thinks is lightning speed. But in reality is quite delayed. Yet, he still grabs onto Nick’s forearm and pulls him back in. 

 

It could also be Vail letting him do this. Vail allows Nick to turn him around, capture his lips in a quick kiss. Because maybe Vail does want this too, if the indicator of his hand in Nick’s hair is anything to go off of. And then Vail’s lips move against Nick’s, deepening their embrace, so Nick takes in a deeper breath through his nose to accommodate. 

 

But it ends there, with Vail pressing a hand to Nick’s chest to separate them. 

 

“In the morning,” Vail insists, before he finally gets up and makes his way back to bed. 

 

Nick nods with widened eyes, watching as Vail takes the same position he had prior. The silence creeps upon them and soon Nick’s asleep. 

 

Nick doesn’t bring it up the next morning. 


End file.
